Congressman Jeff Hurd (R-CD3) praises the military for its professionalism in their secret mission entering Venezuela and arresting President Maduro but also emphasizes the importance of adherence to the U.S. Constitution.
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ALAMOSA — At about 4:00 a.m. (ET) Saturday morning, President Donald Trump held an unexpected press conference where he announced that several hours before, the U.S. military had made several airstrikes within Venezuela's capital city of Caracas. Within just a few minutes, Special Forces then went into the residence of President Nicolas Maduro, detained him and initiated transport back to the U.S. on charges filed related to drug trafficking in the U.S..
In that same press conference, Trump said that the U.S. will now assume control of the country in order to allow oil companies to come back in and rebuild the infrastructure of that industry. When asked who will run the country, Trump answered, "We will," also saying that he "wasn't afraid to put U.S. boots on the ground" to secure the oil.
It was also learned that no members of Congress - neither the House, the Senate nor the Gang of 8 - had been consulted or informed by the administration prior to military action taking place.
The Valley Courier subsequently reached out to Congressman Jeff Hurd (Republican - CD3) to ask if he was in support of or opposition to the administration arresting Maduro along with his wife and then taking control of the country.
After several hours, Hurd's Chief of Staff texted the Congressman's response as it was posted on x.com (formerly Twitter).
That response reads as follows:
The illegitimate Maduro regime has long fueled instability and criminal activity that harms the United States and our partners in the Western Hemisphere. Holding bad actors accountable matters.
I am grateful for the professionalism of our law enforcement, military, and intelligence personnel involved, and thankful that there are no reported casualties.
At the same time, any continued U.S. military involvement must be narrowly defined, legally grounded, and coordinated with Congress. American strength abroad is reinforced by fidelity to the Constitution at home. I will work closely with the President and my colleagues to ensure U.S. actions remain focused, lawful, and ensure dictators around the world know harm to America will never be tolerated.
